Commercial Loan Applications - Why Banks Say No

This article highlights the five primary reasons that banks decline commercial loan applications. The reasons provided below do not represent obscure issues, so it is likely that two or three of the reasons described will be important for typical commercial loan situations. The first two reasons (business plans and tax returns) will potentially impact all commercial borrowers. Many commercial loan officers will start their loan review process by stating some variation of "Can you show me your business plan?" and "We will need to see several years of tax returns."

Commercial projects are frequently too unique for traditional commercial banks. In these situations (even if a commercial borrower has favorable tax returns and an adequate business plan), it is not unusual for commercial borrowers to be declined for a commercial loan by a traditional commercial lender. Commercial borrowers are likely to be confused when they are turned down and will be unsure as to why it happened and what to do next. For each of the five major reasons that a bank might decline a commercial loan, a practical strategy is provided for converting the declined commercial loan into an approved commercial loan.

REASON # 1 FOR COMMERCIAL LOAN REJECTIONS

A bank's loan officer or loan underwriter is not satisfied that the business plan provided by the commercial borrower supports the requested loan.

STRATEGY # 1 FOR CONVERTING THE DECLINED COMMERCIAL LOAN INTO AN APPROVED COMMERCIAL LOAN

Most commercial borrowers will benefit directly from dealing with a commercial lender that does not require a business plan due to the following major benefits:

(1) Reduce commercial loan costs by thousands of dollars. A common range for an average business plan (prepared to typical bank specifications) is $5,000 to $10,000.

(2) Reduce commercial loan closing time by several months. Business plans can be prepared before or after applying for a commercial loan, but either way the net extra time required will probably be 1-2 months or more.

(3) If the lender does not require a business plan, there is one less item standing between the commercial borrower and their approved loan.

REASON # 2 FOR COMMERCIAL LOAN REJECTIONS

Loan underwriters find something on a tax return that disqualifies a borrower under the bank's lending guidelines. This "something" will frequently be insufficient net income, but when loan underwriters look at tax returns, there are many other possibilities which produce a similar result.

STRATEGY # 2 FOR CONVERTING THE DECLINED COMMERCIAL LOAN INTO AN APPROVED COMMERCIAL LOAN

Business loan borrowers will never have Reason Number 2 to worry about if they are applying for a "Stated Income" commercial loan. Very few traditional banks use Stated Income (no tax returns, no income verification, no IRS Form 4506) for a commercial loan. Commercial borrowers should seek out lenders using Stated Income commercial loans. However, this strategy will not work for all commercial loans since there is a maximum loan amount of $2-3 million for most Stated Income commercial mortgage loan programs.

REASON # 3 FOR COMMERCIAL LOAN REJECTIONS

The bank does not generally make business loans for the type of business involved or imposes special requirements that make the commercial loan impractical for the commercial borrower. Fewer banks are making loans to bar/restaurant properties. Similarly, auto service businesses are frequently given unnecessary (and expensive) environmental reporting requirements. There are many "special purpose" properties such as funeral homes, campgrounds and churches that most traditional banks will not include in their business lending portfolio.

STRATEGY # 3 FOR CONVERTING THE DECLINED COMMERCIAL LOAN INTO AN APPROVED COMMERCIAL LOAN

For most business borrowers that can get approved at a traditional bank, there are prudent options available elsewhere. And "prudent options" are clearly available only elsewhere when the bank won't make the business loan in the first place! There are very capable commercial lenders that are interested in special purpose properties.

REASON # 4 FOR COMMERCIAL LOAN REJECTIONS

When a business is refinancing their current commercial mortgage and wants to get a significant amount of cash out for various uses, it is not unusual for the bank to restrict what the funds are used for and to limit the amount of cash to amounts as small as $100,000. Even though the bank might make the commercial loan, if they won't provide the amount of cash needed by the commercial borrower, this is equivalent to declining the loan.

STRATEGY # 4 FOR CONVERTING THE DECLINED COMMERCIAL LOAN INTO AN APPROVED COMMERCIAL LOAN

As mentioned in Strategy Number 3, there are other options available elsewhere! The commercial borrower's mission (and it is not impossible at all) is to use a commercial real estate lender that will allow them to get much larger amounts of unrestricted cash out of a commercial refinancing without restrictions on what they do with it.

REASON # 5 FOR COMMERCIAL LOAN REJECTIONS

The bank will not provide a commercial loan without adequate collateral, usually in the form of a lien on personal assets such as the commercial borrower's home.

STRATEGY # 5 FOR CONVERTING THE DECLINED COMMERCIAL LOAN INTO AN APPROVED COMMERCIAL LOAN

Commercial mortgage borrowers should seek out lenders that do not "cross collateralize" assets as a condition for obtaining a commercial loan. This will provide greater flexibility for the commercial borrower and avoid unnecessary (and unwise) connections between personal and business assets.

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